My King
by ARose94
Summary: After the events from "My Queen" Loki & Laurel are content, happy, & in love...but that doesn't last for long. Together they must fight against their combined enemies for peace, the right to rule, & their love. War is brewing & winter is coming. Their greatest opponent yet? Time. For Laurel has mortality against her. After all, what is a throne if you have no one to share it with?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: ****SPOILER WARNING!**** This is a sequel. If you have not read the first part, "My Queen", then I suggest you go do that right now or it'll ruin everything for you! Go read it now here: s/10092616/1/My-Queen**

**My King**

**Chapter 1: The Ring**

"It is quite beautiful, Laurel. You are very lucky indeed."

The kind statements came from the raven haired woman before me. The warrior maiden, Sif, held my left hand in hers as she peered down at the work of art that wrapped around my third finger.

A band of rich, warm gold—a slightly deeper shade than the element as it appears on Earth, encircled my digit. The band was thin and delicate like a vine. The shoulders of the ring held inticate designs and patterns resembling the mark of the Bifrost when it would touch the surface of another planet. In the center of the shoulders, sitting atop of it all and firmly nestled in the vicelike clutches of the anchoring bezel, was a single gem. It was slightly smaller than a dime, perfectly round, and it glimmered like a star. As the light struck it, it changed colors depending on the angle. Blue, gold, amber, red, and violet light refracted off the cuts of the stone. But above all, the main color that dominated the rest when the light dimmed, was the color green. A primarily green gem with a golden band.

My engagement ring.

It had taken my breath away the instant I saw it. I still couldn't believe that it was mine. I just had to show someone and Sif was the first person to see it—besides myself and the wonderful man that bestowed it upon me.

Loki.

And since Sif has seen it, knowing now that Loki and I were engaged, Thor and then the reigning king and queen of Asgard were next in line to be informed of the news. Loki and I would reveal it together to his parents. Telling Sif was just a teaser, like dipping a toe into an icy pool. It would soon be time to take the plunge and jump wholeheartedly into reality.

My nerves were driving me insane.

**XXX**

**Four hours earlier…**

I sat naked in bed—Loki's bed, and I brushed my long, dark hair while lazily gazing out the window. The sun was bright and the realm glittered under its golden glow. I smiled while working diligently to detangle the knots Loki made in my hair last night while we had sex for the fourth time in our relationship.

"Here, love, allow me."

Loki's cool, deep voice rumbled behind me as he suddenly appeared in the doorway. His chest was bare and a pair of deep olive trousers was the only item of clothing he adorned. My smile widened at the new term of endearment he recently started calling me and I set the brush aside while he approached.

"I should be the one to fix that for you, after all…I am the one who made those knots in the first place," he murmured as he sat down behind me on the bed. He positioned his knees around me and his groin and pelvis pressed into the small of my back.

I blushed and laughed as he settled in against me. He lean and well defined torso was against my spine. My shoulders met his pectorals. His large hands swept down my neck, gently grasping my hair and gathering it together. Once he had swept my hair off to the side of my right shoulder with one hand, he used his other to pick up the brush. I closed my eyes and leaned back against him as he slowly dragged the bristles through my hair.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful your hair is? Its dark color contrasts against your skin tone wonderfully," he whispered, kissing my neck. Delightful sparks flew throughout my body, nerve synapses firing, and goosebumps rising.

"Really? It sure seemed like you enjoyed tangling your hands in my hair last night," I mused with a smile. Loki laughed in return and tugged playfully on a lock of my black coffee colored hair. He rather liked to pull on my hair in bed, too…

Loki finished brushing the knots out of my messy hair, leaving it silky and smooth once more. He swept my hair over my shoulder, tenderly kissed my jaw line, and then changed the topic to a more appropriate one.

"How have you been sleeping lately? You seem restless one moment, and lethargic the next," he asked as he turned to gaze into my eyes.

I sighed, "Frankly, I'm finding it hard to adjust."

I had been on Asgard for almost two weeks now, having kept our engagement quiet for a few days since he proposed after the celebratory feast, and I was still attempting to get used to everything. The days and nights were especially troublesome. Each day was more than twice as long than the ones on Earth. Fifty-five hours made up an entire day from one sunrise to the next compared to my usual twenty-four. From sunrise to sunset, it was twenty-seven and a half hours and the same amount of time for the sun to rise once more. Night and day here lasted quite a long time.

Don't even get me started on trying to adjust my sleeping pattern. Apparently, people on Asgard slept twice each day—once when it was night time and again during daylight hours since the time between one sunrise to another was twice as long as Earth's. This was completely different than just once like back on Earth. According to Loki, hours one through twenty-seven and a half were usually were night time hours. The average Asgardian slept from hour one to hour eleven—depending on their own personal schedule. Then they'd have the hours between twelve and twenty-eight to do whatever they pleased for the remainder of the night. After that, hours twenty-eight to fifty-five were daylight. This second period of sleep in the day was usually from hour twenty-nine to hour thirty-nine. Hours forty to fifty-five were spent awake while it was still light outside. Hour fifty five was often called 'The Final Hour' when the sun would start to set.

It was my favorite hour of the entire day.

And from there, the clock restarts to hour one. The people here lived two full 'earth days' in just one, long rotation of Asgard's axis. The first one was under starlight, the second was under the light of day. What a difference indeed.

I groaned sleepily, "What time is it anyways?" I leaned forward, removing myself from Loki's embrace, and plopped down on my back to lay amongst the black sheets.

"Hour forty-three and sixteen minutes," he replied. "Everyone is usually up for second breakfast at this time." He murmured, glancing over his shoulder to study the clock on the wall.

Ugh…the clocks. They worked differently here as well. They didn't have electricity in this realm—Asgard ran on a different source consisting of harnessed energy, power, and a bit of magic…so there were no digital clocks. Instead, circular clock faces with fifty-five numbered notches around the center worked to tell time. A dark shadow—a semi-circle shape, covered each clock and it rotated over the surface to mark the current hour. Each hour also consisted of fifty-five minutes and a small pinpoint of golden light moved around the clock to highlight the minute marks. Both the shadow and the small pinpoint of light worked together like the hands of Earth's clocks. Fifty-five hours to an entire day. Fifty-five minutes an hour. How odd.

I groaned. I felt jetlagged. I was still struggling to start an entirely new circadian rhythym. My stomach rumbled and I fought between hunger and fatigue while trying to decide which was most important first. I battled internally, thinking of the warm bread rolls in the great hall and simultaneously reveling in the feel of Loki's sheets. Food won…this time, at least.

With a happy sigh, I rose from the bed and donned a knee length, ivory robe to ready for the surely glorious breakfast I'd usually take with Loki's family. Queen Frigga always had amusing stories to tell me about Loki as a child. Thor would add a few comments from time to time while King Odin just smirked (or frowned depending on his mood), silently watching us all and eating his meal, and then Loki would desperately try to change the topic to no avail.

"Oh no…no," Loki tsked at me, raising a hand to point a finger my way as I tied the sash on my robe. "You sit back down, Laurel," he ordered. His tone radiated authority but his face held a playful smirk. "I have requested breakfast to be sent to my chambers this time."

"What for?" I inquired, sitting back down upon the bed and crossed my legs. "Are you getting tired of your family embarrassing you?'

He rolled his eyes and replied, "Always. However, I am also growing tired of my mother always stealing you away from me. She always has so much to say, that woman." Loki chuckled but stopped to mutter, "Odin hardly ever feels the need to speak. Opposites, those two are."

I held back a sigh as I noticed how Loki yet again refused to call the king 'Father'. I was beginning to wonder if their relationship would ever mend itself. I had some hope…but any change would take some time.

A light knocking on the door snapped me out of my thoughts as I turned to look in the general direction of the main room where the door to the hall was. Loki glared at me, daring me to move an inch, before rising from the bed. "Stay," he commanded as I laughed while he moved to retrieve the food from the kitchen worker.

I heard Loki murmur a quick word of gratitude—an oddly more frequent and polite action of his, before his footsteps announced his return.

We ate and discussed the upcoming day, my healing gunshot wound—which was relatively mended with a slight scar, and then the topic of our engagement popped up.

"I have something for you, Laurel," Loki stated simply with a smile.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at him curiously. "You do?"

He nodded and took a deep breath. "It's nothing too grand—if you don't like it I can get something else," he muttered. I took a sip of water as I studied him. He looked conflicted…almost nervous and unsure as he reached behind his back. A flash of green suddenly shone from behind his lean frame, a sure sign of his magical ability to teleport objects he wished to retrieve, and as he brought his hand back around. He opend his palm, unfurling his fingers, to reveal a ring.

A strikingly beautiful ring.

I suddenly covered my mouth and coughed, choking on the bit of water I just inhaled from my glass. My surprise at seeing the engagement ring overtook me just as I was sipping my water. Loki's eyebrows drew together with slight concern as I waved him back, trying to show that I didn't need any assistance.

I coughed once more, clearing my throat as I croaked out, "Oh my goodness!"

"You do not like it," Loki stated flatly. "I knew it. I should have gone with a different style—something grander." He curled his fingers, hiding the ring inside his closed fist.

"No! No, no, no!" I retorted, eyebrows high and an apologetic look adorning my face. I placed a hand over his and earnestly spoke again. "That's not it at all! Loki…I love it," I urged as I eyed his hand.

He scoffed, "Really?"

I nodded, "I really do. In fact, it startled me. You caught me off guard, actually. I had entirely forgotten about engagement rings, to be honest."

He smiled, uncurling his fingers to reveal the ring once more, "Yes, well I suppose we are being rather untraditional compared to the courtships of Midgard. Do your people still get down on one knee and open the velvet box of jewelry right then and there?"

I nodded and laughed, remembering just how informal Loki had been when he asked me to marry him and then just moments later we were celebrating by having sex for a few hours…

"You are blushing, Laurel," he murmured in his usual deep, irresistible voice. I laughed again and he took my hand in his, sliding the ring onto my finger. A perfict fit.

"Thank you, Loki. It is absolutely beautiful," I whispered in shock and awe, then leaned towards him to eagerly place a kiss on his lips. His mouth fit against mine like they were two puzzle pieces. Being with him felt right—natural. I couldn't be happier to be engaged to this man and the ring only made everything feel that much more real. Before, our engagement felt like a dream. Only days ago had he proposed and we both agreed to let it sink in between us first, getting used to the feelings of excitement, before telling anyone. Every encounter with his adoptive family made me feel electric by holding in such a secret. Nobody knew it. It was between the two of us. Personal. A ring would have given it all away before we were really ready to announce the engagement.

Now we both were.

"Since you officially have a ring now…who do we tell first?" he asked with a devilish grin.

"We aren't going to tell your parents right away?"

"Oh no. That will come along later today. We need to pick someone far less intimidating for you to ease your nerves. Practice," he stated.

I could think of a certain black haired warrior maiden.

**AN: AHHH! Sorry it took me so many weeks to get this posted. I had to work out a lot of details with the plot. I already have most of it drafted up, so that should help me to write more smoothly. HUGE thanks to you guys for reading my previous fiction and coming along for the ride on this new adventure. I am SO excited!**

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	2. Chapter 2: A Disappointing Exchange

**AN: Here is chapter 2! Thanks so much for new and returning readers! You guys are amazing :)**

**Chapter 2: A Disappointing Exchange**

Loki was leading me down the hallway, hand in hand, as we approached the throne room.

Just an hour ago, I had told Sif about the engagement and even showed her the ring. Loki agreed that starting out with Lady Sif would be appropriate. She seemed to be a sort of friend to me during my week long stay here on Asgard and our relationship was easy. She was my only friend here and I felt that I could trust her kind, truthful replies to almost anything I asked her about or brought foreward.

Sif had smiled and complemented the lovely piece of jewelry, even calling me lucky, and then expressed her hopes that Loki and I would be very happy together. I sensed that her feelings were genuine and her words made me feel elated. Loki had guessed that it might ease my nerves a bit to tell her before the king and queen were informed. He was right, as usual.

At least for a few minutes until we started walking towards the throne room…

We were on the way to inform Odin and Frigga of the news right now. Not only were they the rulers of this realm, but they were also Loki's parents and that made me bite my lip in worry. Anxiety grew within my heart like a weed, twisting it's roots around my fragile chambers and filling my veins with dread.

"Do not stress yourself so, Laurel," Loki whispered in my ear as we approached the golden double doors to the throne room. "My mother already has grown quite fond of you in the little time she has come to know you. Even Odin has yet to show disdain for you—and that is something to be feeling accomplished about."

"Why can't we go tell Thor first?" I urged, trying to postpone our visit to the throne room by a few more minutes.

He sighed, "Thor has unfortunately decided to go visit Vanaheim today. We will have to tell him another time…but I know that you just want to delay our upcoming exchange. Stop fretting!"

I took a deep breath, smoothed out my yellow gown, lifted my head high, and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry, I'm just a bit anxious is all."

He squeezed my hand gently in his and then nodded to the guards as they opened the doors.

The long, spacious walkway down the center of the room appeared before us. It was almost entirely silent as we strode towards the steps that lead up the platform the throne was perched upon. The only sounds were the tapping of our shoes upon the stone floor as we walked side by side.

Stopping before the stairs, Loki and I looked up to the figure sitting on the golden throne. The Lord Odin was clad in rich hues of maroon and bronze. His single, uncovered eye looked down at us with its icy blue coloring—switching to study Loki's expression, then mine, and then returning to glance at Loki once more with an ounce of curiosity.

"Loki…Laurel, what a surprise. I did not expect to see you both until second dinner just before sunset. Can I help you with anything?" he spoke, his voice was seemingly much louder as it reverberated around the large room.

"Yes," Loki responded, tilting his head back slightly. "But where is Mother?"

Loki's eyes swept around the near empty room, searching.

"Your mother is in the garden. I'm sure whatever you have to say can be uttered without her presence," the king answered.

Loki laughed once, "Actually, it cannot. I need to speak with her as well."

"I am here, Loki," the clear voice of Frigga called out from behind us. I looked over my shoulder as she approached and Loki did the same as well, mirroring my movements. The queen walked towards us, donning a more simplistic gown than usual that was made of a soft pink material. Her dress was still more beautiful than anything back on Earth, but it seemed like something she would wear to walk around through a garden in as to not dirty her more lavish pieces.

"I ran into Lady Sif while outside just minutes ago. She assured me that I would want to return back inside the castle because you would have news for me. Though, she refused to elaborate on the details," she mused as she gracefully climbed the steps in order to stand next to the throne by her husband. She placed a hand on Odin's shoulder and gently leaned on him, awaiting the news.

I smiled, mentally taking note to thank Sif later for her action of kindness. She had spared both Loki and I a bit of awkwardness trying to get Frigga to return from outside the castle without giving anything away too early.

Loki cleared his throat, "Yes…well, then. As you both know, Laurel is very dear to me. Not only is she beautiful and kind, but she is wise and intuitive." I smiled and glanced down at my shoes as his words had quite the effect on me. "She has saved me from a lot of pain and darkness. Without her, I wouldn't be here today."

"Yes, indeed you would still be held prisoner in the dungeons…or even dead," the king commented. My eyes shot up in surprise and I felt Loki bristle next to me. I squeezed his hand encouragingly and he continued like he was unaffected.

Loki rushed onward, pretending that he had not heard that pointed comment. "I cannot fathom my future without Laurel by my side. It is for these reasons that I would like to announce that I intend to marry her and have already asked her to be my wife—my queen," he finished, holding up our entwined hands to show the ring that sparkled and glimmered on my finger.

Frigga's smile grew wide and joy lit her eyes while Odin looked mildly intrigued. He pressed his lips firmly together, clasped his hands, and tilted his head.

"But you are king of nothing. How could Laurel become a queen?" Odin murmured with a tone that made my eyes become downcast. Was he trying to make Loki upset on purpose? My own heart clenched in empathetic pain for the god by my side.

Loki slowly lowered our entwined hands to let them hang by our sides once more. His voice was stiff and gruff as if he was speaking between clenched teeth, "I will be a king some day. I have plans to take what is rightfully mine. I will conquer Jotunheim."

"With what army?" the king countered.

I looked to Loki and saw him raise an eyebrow as he glanced downwards and off the the side, as if he was already in the midst of forming a plan, but he remained silent.

"You really should start thinking things through before proposing a war to be started. A king does not actively seek out war, Loki," the king went on. Odin had not caught on to Loki's expression. He didn't know.

But I did.

Loki was already thinking of plans. I could tell by the way he held himself now.

Glancing at the queen, I suspected that she knew enough about the boy she had raised into a man. Her knowing smile told me that she guessed Loki wasn't telling the king something. How odd it was to me that Queen Frigga and I knew Loki far more than the man who called himself Loki's 'father' did.

"Very well then, Odin. Laurel and I shall be on our way now," Loki murmured with a blank expression. He tugged gently on my hand to lead me away and I just looked at him with opened mouth silence. That was it? Odin wasn't happy for his youngest son? Not even a word of congratulations?

Loki looked at me expectantly, eyebrows raised and nodding at me, urging me to move. I glanced once more at the middle aged man in the golden throne before I was finally able to make my legs work. My feet shuffled after Loki as he began to lead me away.

Wow. Loki really wasn't joking when he said that his father treated him differently. Sure, Odin might have insulted Thor's mortal girlfriend while seemingly accepting me due to Heimdall's insight, but if Thor had announced an engagement to Sif…I'm entirely sure that the king would have been more warm and caring with his words. What a disappointing exchange of words that just took place before me.

As Loki and I silently approached the golden doors leading into the main hallway of the castle, one word rang in my ears.

"Laurel?"

Loki stopped us both, pausing before the doorway with one hand on the door, while I turned around slowly. The king now stood, leaning on his staff at the top of the stairs below the throne. It was his voice that called out at the last second just moments ago.

"Congratulations to the both of you," he finished in a barely audible tone before turning to take his seat once more at the throne of Asgard.

And with that final statement, Loki and I left the cold and nearly empty room of royalty to return to his chambers.

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	3. Chapter 3:Adventures Alone

**Chapter 3: Adventures Alone**

"What on Midgard was that all about?!" I asked, throwing my hands in the air and sitting down on the end of Loki's bed.

Loki paused his pacing around the room to give me a smirk. He liked it when I used Asgard's terms around him. It showed that I was open to learning about other realms than just the one I was born on. He placed a kiss on my forehead before returning to circling the room, thinking hard about something.

I sighed and leaned back, throwing myself down upon the black sheets. "You weren't kidding before when you told me how your father was. I'm sorry, Loki. I can only imagine what growing up with him was like…"

He pursed his lips and absently muttered, "Now is not a time for pity and sentiment, Laurel. I have the upper hand here, do you not see?"

I frowned and tilted my head, "No. I don't, actually. Care to explain?"

Loki leaned against the wall and held his hands together, lining up his fingertips against each other in an act of concentration. His mouth was pressed firmly in a line as he debated something internally. Finally, after moments of complete silence, he spoke.

"The Allfather underestimates me."

A crease formed in between my eyes, "Yes…it sounds like he has pretty much all of your life. How is that any different now?"

"Odin does not suspect that I actually have a plan for taking Jotunheim. He simply believes that I want the throne and haven't thought far enough ahead to actually start planning yet. He thinks that my words are empty. Yet, I have the upper hand here. Odin will believe that I have no further plans when in reality, I will talk quietly with the warriors and see if I can persuade them into changing their allegiance from Odin to myself. If we win Jotunheim, they can take some spoils of war with them. He surely is not going to lend me an army all on his own, so this gives me time to build one behind his back," he elaborated.

"If the hen wont give up its eggs, then the fox will simply take them when no one is looking," I whispered, rising to a sitting position.

"Precisely."

I stood up off the mattress and approached him. I looked up and locked my cool grey eyes onto his shining green ones. A fire danced behind his eyes, passion, and I hated to be the one to extinguish it. But it had to be done. This plan wasn't safe.

"Loki, you have said to me before that Thor is the brother quickest to start a fight. You are the more rational of the two of you. Remember that?" I asked. He nodded slowly and I continued, "You've come so far. Please don't let it all be in vain. If you steal the king's army, it will only reap his wrath and no true victory for you will be achieved. You need to find another way—we will find a way. Make a formal announcement! Tell the people of Asgard that you are Loki Laufeyson and that you seek help for obtaining your birthright. Form an alliance between the people of Asgard and yourself. Not a feud by upsetting the king," I murmured softly, brushing his hair behind his ears.

Loki remained silent.

I dropped my gaze, worried. I hoped he didn't take my words the wrong way. I didn't want to anger him by disagreeing with his current plan. The period of silence between us grew to be increasingly more uncomfortable.

A surprised gasp escaped my lips as he took my chin in between his thumb and forfinger, tilting my head, so that he could capture my lips with his. His mouth moved against mine like waves of the ocean, pushing and letting go from the shore. My eyes closed as I reveled in the way he held me. He was definitely not upset with me by the way he was reacting now.

When he pulled away, I was left breathless.

"You are an incredible woman and I am reminded of that every day. Thank you, Laurel," he breathed.

"Wha—what did I do?" I asked, confused, as I brought a hand up to touch my lips. Electricity seemed to radiate through my entire body.

He pushed his hair back out of his face and chuckled, "We are not even married yet and you are already giving me sound advice when my anger tells me to act without reason. You shall make a fine queen someday."

I smiled and muttered shyly, "I'm just trying to keep you out of trouble."

He placed his hands on top of my shoulders and kissed my forehead before rushing across the room to grab a bag. I looked at him curiously and he glanced back at me after opening the main door of our quarters.

"I will be at the castle's private library. If you feel the need to go anywhere, get a member of the castle staff to call Sif for you. I do not want you getting lost because you were too stubborn to take someone along. I will be back by dinner!" he called before bustling out into the main corridor.

A small scoff of disbelief left my mouth. My words must have brought forwards an idea in Loki's mind if he was in such a hurry. But why would he be going to the library now? Research for new plans, perhaps?

I frowned and looked around the room expectantly. What was I to do? Any time Loki had left my presence, I'd usually sleep, take a bath, or talk to Sif—or Loki's family if they were around. I wasn't tired or in need of a bath now. I also had no idea where to find anyone at this time of day. The castle was quite large and I still couldn't find my way around this floor, let alone the entire grounds.

I was still so new to this realm that I didn't know what to do when Loki was gone. I needed a hobby or a job—something!

I glanced at the strange, Asgardian clock on the wall. It was hour fifty and thirty minutes. There were less than five hours until sunset. Two hours until dinner.

Maybe it was time for an adventure?

**XXX**

I slipped my shoes back on, straightened out my pretty but simplistic gown, and opened the main door of Loki's many interconnected chambers to exit into the main hall of the palace. Despite Loki expressing his wishes that I send someone to get Sif to follow me around the castle if I wanted to leave his chambers, I figured that was too much of a hastle. Sif was probably busy training—something she did quite often as a warrior. Why should I disturb her lessons just so she could babysit me as I frolic about the castle like a child at Disneyland?

Peeking out into the corridor, only a handful of strangers were walking about. So far, nobody noticed me as I slipped into the hallway and quietly shut the door behind me.

The only occasions when I was recognized as a mortal had to be when I was with Loki. Last week, word had spread through the castle that Loki had brought an injured mortal woman from Midgard to Asgard because he cared for her. Loki pretty much accompanied me everywhere around the grounds, hinting to others my true identity, and Sif was with me when Loki was busy somewhere else. I wasn't as easily identified by strangers that passed me by when it was just Sif and I. My clothes from back home were gone—probably disposed of in some way since they were covered in my blood, so I only wore the beautiful Asgardian clothing now. With the new cosmetics and shampoos the servant maids gifted to me, I suppose I could fit right in—that is, until my speech patterns and mannerisms gave me away.

Despite the fact that I currently went unnoticed in the grand corridor, I felt awkward and misplaced here. I was the only mortal in the entire realm, masquerading as just another young woman in the kingdom with my flowing gowns and fancy shoes. I kind of liked the anonymity of being without Loki for once—free to roam the grounds and explore all on my own. I wondered how far I could travel about without being noticed by someone close to the royal family.

I felt sneaky.

I kept my gaze low and shuffled off to the right, randomly choosing a direction.

The giant hallway was the main passage throughout the entire castle—according to Loki. He once told me that a person could follow it from the front gate all the way through the main heart of castle and then it would circle back around to the front where it started. From this hall, many smaller and average sized hallways branched off of it to lead to more private areas of the building.

In my mind, the structure of the castle was like the circulatory system of a living, breathing body. The center of the entire castle, the throne room, was the heart. The main hallway I currently walked in was both the aorta and the vena cava—the largest artery and then the largest vein both branching directly from the heart as the main blood vessels. The smaller hallways were like the arterioles and venules. The castle's many rooms were the capillaries. I wanted to explore them.

Left turn here.

Right turn there.

Down a flight of stairs.

Around the corner…

I memorized where I was going in order to find my way back to Loki's many rooms that made up his living quarters. Getting lost would do me ill here.

Turning down another corridor, I spotted a painting that interested me, and then discovered more and more beautiful works of art as the hallway went onwards. I moved from one painting to the next, taking as long as I wanted to study the delicate brush strokes, the blend of colors, the details, and the life-like quality of each one. Asgardian artists were skilled beyond comprehension. Without taking my eyes off the walls, I blindly shuffled further and further down the corridor and around the corner.

And then I got lost.

At first, I thought that I had just turned a corner and I could easily go back to the original hallway, but I went down the wrong hallway—believing it to be the previous one. Then trying to correct the mistake, I ended up going down an entirely different corridor without any paintings at all. In the midst of all my traveling, I had forgotten to notice the fact that less and less people were walking about the halls. I was now alone and completely lost somewhere in the gigantic hallway of a castle in a foreign realm.

I sighed, wondering what time it was. My stomach growled and I hoped it wasn't close to dinner time. Loki had mentioned that he would be back at his chambers by then. He'd know I hadn't listened to him and wandered off by myself.

My shoes tapped lightly against the tile as my quick, worried stride slowed down to a despondent crawl throughout the halls. Now entirely lost, I meandered around at random, hoping to run into someone I could ask for directions from.

I passed a wall of windows, my first glance outside in over an hour. My heart plummeted as I realized that I couldn't tell time by the amount of sunlight outside like I could on Earth. Our realms were different.

With my eyes still glancing out at the grand view, I almost ran into the tall form in front of me.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'm just—"

"Lost?" the deep, rumbling voice interrupted me. I looked up his massively tall body to look into his eyes. They were the most intriguing color: gold.

I nodded timidly in response. The man let out a hearty chuckle, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. His skin was dark and it made his lively eyes stand out in contrast. His hair was shaved down close to his scalp and golden armor covered him from neck to toe—his helmet being in his grasp, at the moment.

"You are the mortal," he mused.

I laughed awkwardly. "Is it that obvious?"

"No," his voice reverberated in his chest. "I just know you, Laurel."

My eyebrows drew together in confusion. I had never seen this man before in my life. How did he know me? He must surely be mistaken.

"Forgive me for being rude. I am Heimdall, the gatekeeper of the Bifrost. I see all—every soul and every realm. I know you because of these gifts of all sight," he explained in a calm, serene tone. His eyes were shining brighter almost as if pools of yellow, metallic element flowed through them.

Recognition lit my features. I now remembered him from the stories Loki had told me. "Oh my goodness! Of course! Thank you, by the way, for everything. Without you…Loki and I would have never met!" I exclaimed.

It was because of Heimdall that Loki knew my name. When Loki had fallen through the portal that the destruction of the first Bifrost had created, Loki had thought of me. The Bifrost sensed his thoughts and wishes, then proceeded to transport him to my house. I was just seventeen. Now I was twenty-four. Loki and I had been through a lot in the past seven years.

The man laughed lightly and nodded. "Yes, and I am glad that the two of you did meet. I have seen many scenarios in my mind and am relieved to experience one of the more pleasant ones."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Heimdall expanded on his last statement, "I see all—every living soul and every event. Past, present, and future are available to my eyes. Many events are always possible, but only one can truly come to pass."

I pursed my lips and asked, "If you can see the past, the present, and the future…why do negative events still occur? How is Asgard not entirely safe from war and enemies? Forgive me if that sounds rude, but I'm just curious. Odin could use your gifts to make sure that Asgard is always out of war's reach…but Loki has told me that battles still occur from time to time."

He chuckled, "I can only see what I am looking for. The universe is full of many different outcomes and I am just one man. If I do not know what to look for, I cannot always find it until something is at our doorstep. However, if Odin warns me that another realm is acting rather suspiciously…then I can watch them for advancing threats."

"So if you are wary or guessing that something bad is going to happen, then you can be on the lookout?" I clarified.

"Precisely."

"But you still miss stuff sometimes? Things can slip through?"

He nodded, "Indeed. If I am busy looking some place in time, that leaves many unwatched doors available for entry."

I pressed my lips into a tight line and tilted my head—thinking of so many questions about my future with Loki. My mind was swimming with copious possibilities. What was going to happen?

"Do you know if I am going to become immortal—like Loki? Will we find out how it is possible? Will we succeed?" I asked, my voice becoming high now with worry.

Heimdall inhaled, looked off to the side and avoiding eye contact with me. When he looked back to meet my gaze, he appeared troubled. "That is more up to you, Laurel. I cannot provide answers to that, for it is a slippery slope and any interferance from me could topple your decisions into a less favorable one."

I frowned, finding no comfort in his words.

"Nonetheless," he continued, "I can inform you that I do know that you and the younger prince intend to conquor Jotunheim. I also know that it is imperative that I pass along a message for Loki. Tell that god of mischief that he must speak to a warrior by the name of Arndor. He usually tends to the airships."

I gave him a small smile, hiding my confusion. It didn't seem like much information, but anything was helpful. Who knows, maybe it could start a cascade of many positive events for us. It could lead anywhere.

"Thank you, Heimdall."

"You are welcome, Lady Laurel. Do not look so unnerved. I know that I cannot help you with your mortality problem, but if you give this new information to your betrothed when he returns from the library…then good things will come from this."

A giggle escaped my lips, "You saw that we were engaged due to your gifts, didn't you?" My response was addressing his words. He had called Loki my 'betrothed' before any formal announcements to the realm had occurred.

"No, I just saw the gem on your finger."

"Oh…"

He laughed, "But I did see Loki about to leave the library just a moment ago and I know he would be rather cross with you if he knew you were traveling alone in the unfamiliar halls of the castle." My eyes widened and my face paled in realization while he continued, "Turn around and make a left at the second doorway. Behind the lion tapestry is another door—a hidden entry. You will come to a flight of stairs that lead to Loki's chambers. It is a shortcut he invented. You'd better hurry, he is more than halfway there."

My eyes lit up and I hurried off to beat Loki back to the rooms before he caught me. I thanked Heimdall profusely for his help, both with giving me directions and the name. The name I had forgotten…Andr—something similar. Arndro? Ardro?

"Arndor!" he called after me as I lifted my skirts and shuffled down the hall.

"Thank you!" I shouted once more as I rounded the corner.

With this new information, I had a spark of optimism.


	4. Chapter 4: Ideas

**Chapter 4: Ideas**

"Laurel, would you pass the bread? You are always hoarding it!" Thor called across the table.

I snapped out of my blank state, lost in my thoughts, and gave him an apologetic smile.

I was previously thinking about the hidden pathway to Loki's chambers. With Heimdall's advice, I had reached the room before Loki did, having ended up in the closet that Loki graciously shared with me. The stairway started behind the tapestry in the hallway I was lost in and it ended with the door concealed behind multiple rows of clothing. I wondered just how many hidden paths were a part of the castle's framework. How many tunnels and stairways were kept secret from?

Now that Thor had brought me back to reality and out of my mind, I reached for the bread basket and handed it to him. When he took the item from my grasp, he paused. I frowned, confused, until I follwed the line of his gaze down to my outstretched hand. His eyes were locked on to my engagement ring.

"What is this?" he asked, a sly smile spreading across his face.

"I—uh. Well…" I started. I had entirely forgotten the fact that Thor was the only one left in our innermost circle, besides the Warriors Three, to be informed of the engagement. The three other warriors were seated further down the table and were oblivious to our current conversation.

Loki shifted in his seat next to me, turning his attention from his mother to Thor. He had paused their conversation when he realized what was going on. "Thor, that is a ring. An engagement ring, to be more precise. You do know what that is, do you not?"

Thor's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes…I do, brother," his tone held a trace of annoyance. "When were you planning on informing me of the good news?"

I jumped into the conversation in hopes of relieving some of the tension. "We were actually going to tell you after we told Sif…right before we told your parents." Thor's mouth pressed into a tight line at my admittance that he was pushed farther down the list of informed people. I continued onwards, trying to explain. "We were going to tell you right after Sif! At the last moment we were told that you were away on Vanaheim so we went ahead without you. Sorry," I grimaced with an apologetic look.

The god of thunder turned to the black haired warrior maiden. "You knew before I did?" he asked her. She nodded and Thor then gave Loki and I a slight frown. "Well, then, I am at least glad that I know now." He paused and then added, "Can they be informed of the good news?"

Glancing in the direction that Thor was gesturing, I looked down the table at the men that made up The Warriors Three. Fandral, Hogun, and Volsatgg were avidly discussing a previous battle and paying no attention to the rest of us whatsoever.

Thor then gave me and Loki each a sidelong glance and spoke, "Are you going to tell them soon? When do you plan on announcing your engagement to the entire realm?"

"Uhh…" I mumbled, entirely unsure of how to answer him. I was at a loss for words, so I turned to Loki for his answer and was surprised to find him already standing.

Loki stood up next to me, appearing taller than usual since I was still seated, and he held a look of seriousness on his face.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" he called out to the entire table. His voice reverberated around the large, spacious dining hall. The multiple conversations at the table were beginning to die down now.

"Loki! What are you doing?" I hissed in whisper up at him. I caught his attention and he glanced down at me, leaned forward to take my hand in his, and then pulled me up with him. The entire table had grown entirely silent by this moment.

Not only were Loki's family, Sif, and The Warriors Three present…but also a small cluster of elite guards that Odin favored most were with us as well as the gaurdsmen's families for a special, once-a-month, gathering. Those people were strangers to me. A sense of nervousness grew in the pit of my stomach while every eye was trained on Loki and I.

Loki cleared his throat and pressed his shoulders back, chest forward, then began to speak. "I would like to make an announcement, here in this room, as a small step before informing the entire realm," he paused to take a breath. As he did, I turned my attention away from his face to glance over at King Odin, afraid of finding him to be displeased by the fact that Loki was hijacking his special, monthly feast with his most favored gaurds. The king appeared blank faced as usual. No surprise there. At least he didn't appear to be angry…

"Laurel, here, is the woman that I brought back from Midgard." Loki was currently addressing the not so familiar people in the room. "I am certain that most of you have heard the rumors of her presence. Well, now I would like to announce to The Warriors Three and the rest of you here who may not know…Laurel and I are engaged."

My eyes fleetingly looked from face to face around the table. I saw eyes widen, heads tilt, mouths become pursed, and eyebrows rise. My heart pounded erratically in my chest.

But then I saw eyes crinkle up at the corners as mouths became upturned. Small smiles, large grins, and joyous laughter filled the air.

"Yes!" Volstagg errupted into throaty chuckles. "Finally, someone broke through to him."

"You know he actually tried to kill us once?" Fandral smiled at me. "I am glad that you recently knocked some sense into him. I thought that Loki seemed to be slightly less homicidal as of late. I am pleased to know that it was thanks to a woman and not just some vile trick he was playing on the rest of us—pretending to be more tame in order to strike us when we let our gaurds down."

"Um…thanks?" I replied awkwardly with a small laugh.

The three warriors rose from their seats and began to clap. Thor and Sif stood as well and joined them. Thor even rose a glass in my direction and spared me a nod while smiling happily. The gaurdsmen and their families slowly changed from shocked to pleasantly surprised. I saw a few small grins here and there. Some of them began to whisper to each other but, as far as I could tell, no ill comments were spoken.

I turned to Loki and smiled. I was glad for the both of us—pleased that Thor had congratulated us on the engagement. I studied his face, looking at his features and trying to assess his emotions. Loki's face held a mixture of surprise and joy. I tried to memorize that look on his face.

Because deep down, I don't think he ever expected it to go as well as it actually did.

**XXX**

"Well, I'd say that tonight went well."

I had uttered those words as I kicked off my shoes and began to unlace my gown.

"Yes it did, did it not?" Loki murmured as he closed the main door, locked it, and walked towards me. "I was surprised, quite frankly, at how well everything went." He unapologetically slapped my hands away and took over for me, unlacing the ties much more swiftly than I could.

I chuckled and then asked him the question that had been on my mind for the past hour during dinner. "How did things at the library go? Did you find anything? What were you looking for anyways?"

Loki finished unlacing the back of my dress and pulled it down over my hips. I shimmied the yellow material down my calves and then stepped out of it, turning around to help Loki out of his black shirt.

"Well, it helped that I knew what I was looking for. However, the book was so outdated that It was of little to no use to me at all."

I raised an eyebrow at him, wordlessly asking for him to elaborate. He sighed, "I was looking for a record of the current gaurdsmen and soldiers in Asgard's army. I wanted to know ranks and names so that I may scout them—find some that could be persuaded to join my cause willingly. Do not look at me like that, Laurel! I know that you warned me not to steal Odin's army. That is why I want to seek out valuable members, win them over to our side, and approach Odin for a propostition. I want to make a deal with him. But I know that he will not even listen to my words if I lack the supporters in the first place. However, my attempts to look up names and positions was futile. The log book hasn't been updated in centeries!"

I tilted my head as I remembered what Heimdall had told me. It was now or never. I looked into Loki's eyes and offered up my best response at the moment.

"I have a name for you."

His eyebrows rose in curiosity as he asked, "You do? What is it?"

"Arndor."

**AN: Thanks fore reading! :D**

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